Auxiliary lifting arrangement for aeroplanes



June 21 1927.

1,633,006 J. w. DUNDAS AUXILIARY LIFTING ARRANGEMENT FOR AEROPLANESFiled Nov.29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

June, 21', 1927;

J. W. DUNDAS AUXILIARY LIFTING ARRANGEMENT FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov.29,1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15 rially increase the stability 'of Patented June'2 1, 1927.

m'ran. STATES mmns w. DUNDAB, or nn'rnorr, mronrenn.

LUXILIABY LETTING ARRANGEMENT FOR AEROPLANES. 7

Application filed November This invention relates to improvements inauxiliary lifting arrangements for aeroplanes, and consists essentiallyof shells or casings adapted to be secured to the upper wings and thetop of the fuselage of aeroplanes, said casings having an arrangement ofgas bags in them to increase the lifting capacity and buoyancy of themachines on which they are mounted. I

Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide an auxiliary liftingarrangement for aeroplanes which may be applied to any type ofaeroplane, and in which the caslngs and gas bags are so positioned as tomatethe machines to which they are secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide one common gas line fromwhich all 'the gas bags both on the wings and over the fuselage may thegas bags that additional ones may also be inserted and inflated in anyportions of the fuselage nototherwise utilized so as to further add tothe lifting ability of the machine. e V

Yet another object of the invention is to so mount the casings on thewings that both the casings and the wings may be turned to a limitedextent about a horizontal axis so as to facilitate the handling ofv theaeroplane particularly when ascending or descending.

With these and other objects in ,view which will become apparent as thespecification proceeds, an embodiment of the invention is hereinaftermore fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view ofan aeroplane provided with myauxiliary lifting device.

Figures 2 and 3 are sections on the lines I II-II and III-III of Figure1.

Figure 4' is a detail showing. the tilting mechanism for the wings andthe wing casings and gas bags.

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4. a

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing art ofthe gas line and valvescontrolling the filling of the bags.

Figure 7 shows a section through one of the wing gas bags.

Referring to the drawings, an aeroplane having a fusela wings 3. To theupper porti n n 1- designates e 2 and the fusebe filled; and to soconstruct erably 29, 1926. Serial No. 151,319."

lage the lower margins 4 of a shell or casing 5 are secured. This casingconsists of substantially rigid material and is frequently made ofaluminum. Moreover while a solid casing is shown in the drawings itmaybe made in any desiredimanner so long as it v effectively supportsthe sides of the gas bags 6 contained therein, which latter arepreferably arranged one'behind the other. The outer sides of these bagsare supported "by the inside of the casing 5 and the top of thefuselage, and the ends of the bags bear against fabric partitions 7which are attached to cross members 8. A gas line 10 extendslongitudinally under the shell and has a branch 11 connected to eachgasba 6. The branches are preferably each provlded with a gas valve 12.

To the wings 3 wing casings 13, similar in general construction to thecasing 5, are

secured. These wing casings are also filled as to fill the space betweentwo adjacent fuselage supports 21, and I prefer to'attach atfglgricpartition between them as indicated The wing casings may either berigidly secured to the main casing 5, or the former may be so mounted onthe latter that the wing casings may turn to a limited extent about ahorizontal axis together with the wings on'"which the rest. In thelatter case I 'refer to. provi e outwardly projecting bo ts .23 in thecasing 5 and circumferen tially slotted openings 24 in the inner endsofthe wing casings. In that case the wings are usually pivotally mountedon the sides of the fuselage as on shaft 26 which refextends rightacross the, fuse age. On this shaft 26 is a worm wheel27 which mesheswith a worm 28 on the spindle 31. The spindle is supported in suitablebearings 29 and terminates'in a handwheel 30 located in such position asto be within' easy reach In cases where a portion of the space 1 of theoperator of the aeroplane. Again the wing arrangement just described mayalso be employed in connection with a dirigible lighter than airmachine.

When my auxiliary lifting arran is to be applied to an aeroplane already con structed I usually leave the wings, and also the Wing casings,rigidly attached to the fuselage and to the main shell or casingrespectively; but when constructing an aeroplane to which my attachmentis to be applied it is found that. the movable Wing arrangementfacilitates the handling of the machine. It will also be noted that thegas bags are so constructed that their lifting power alone is notsufficient to prevent a descent being made.

In order to provide gas bags having sufli cient cubic capacity for mypurpose'it will be noted that immediately above the top of the fuselagethe main shell 5 projects laterally outwards as indicated at 5", andagain the undersides of the wing casings extend in front of the Wingsand the shells or casings 13' are supported by forwardly projectingbraces 32. I

While in the foregoing a preferred construction of the invention isdescribed, it is understood that alterations and modifications may bemade thereto provided the said alterations and modifications fall withinthe scope of the appended claims. What I claim as my invention anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination with anaeroplane having a fuselage and wings attached to said fuselage, of amain casing mounted on the upper side of said fuselage, wing casingsement,

on said wings and secured to said main casing, a plurality of gas ba sin each of said casings, and a gas line under said bags and connected tothem.

2. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination vwithan aeroplane having a fuselage and wings, of a main casing attached tothe upper side of said fusclage, wing casings on said wings secured tosaid main casing, sets of laterally disposed bracesin all of saidcasings, a gas bag between each adjacent pair of sets of braces, andmeans for filling said gas bags.

3. In an arrangement of the character described in claim 2, thecombination wherein the wing casings are so mounted on the main casingas to permit a limited rotary movement of the former about the latter.

4. In an arrangement of the character described the combination with anaeroplane having a fuselage and wings pivotally mounted thereon, of amain casing mounted on saidifuselage, wing casings mounted on saidwings, said wing casing inner endsbeing so secured to said main casingas to be permitted a limited rotary movement about the latter on ahorizontal axis, a shaft extending across said fuselage, one of saidwings secured to each end of said shaft, a 'worm wheel on said shaft, aspindle sup ported by said fuselage, a worm on said spindle inengagement with said worm wheel, means for turning said spindle, aplurality of gas bags in each of said casings, sets of lateral braces ineach of said casings, said sets of braces being so os'itioned as tosupport the sides'of said gas bags,- and means for filling said gasbags.

. JAMES'W. DUNDAS.

